Fireflies
by FangGirl24
Summary: Mutual feelings, fledgling love, and fireflies. Fluff. Zutara.


There's a small campfire burning, the area around it bright with the glow of the flames, revealing five figures; three sleeping, the other two watching the fire, presumably lost in thought.

"Katara," The husky voice of the fire prince murmured, nudging the waterbender to gain her attention.

"Zuko?" She asked, blinking up at him, before raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Zuko put a finger to his lips, and motioned for her to follow. Curious, Katara stood, careful not to wake their sleeping companions.

Glancing back to make sure that she was following, Zuko led her deeper into the dark forest. Katara scrambled to keep up. Unable to see where she was going on the uneven ground, she tripped, yelping as she lost her footing. A hand darted out, grabbing her upper arm before she could fall. Catching her breath, as well as her balance, Katara turned to her rescuer.

"Zuko, where are we-" He shushed her with a finger to her lips, and in his other palm lit a small flame. The light, while small, illuminated their surroundings just enough to see the ground before them. The banished prince grasped her hand lightly, allowing her to draw back if she wished.

They continued on, hand in hand, Zuko leading the way. His eyes never wavered from the unmarked path before them. Katara studied his features in the flickering glow of light. Shadows danced across his face, the scar on his left side more grotesque in the sparse light. Though she didn't know where he was taking her, so far away from camp this late at night, she trusted him, and wasn't afraid.

Their days as enemies were over; Zuko having proven his loyalties, and joined the Avatars gang. Surprisingly, they had found that once you looked past the whole "tried-to-kill-you-and-your-friends-on-multiple-oc casions" thing, they actually got along pretty well. Their friendship had been steadily building, and they had gotten close in the last few months.

At last, they broke through the tree line and into a clearing. There was a small stream that cut through the center, and the sky was open above them- the moonlight reflected on the water's surface. There was a light fog, giving the area a surreal atmosphere.

"It's beautiful," Katara gasped, releasing Zuko's hand to wander further into the clearing. She turned back to him, her awe fading once more into confusion, "Why did you bring me here?"

The Fire Nation prince slowly reduced the distance between them, and carefully reaching up, whispered,

"Close your eyes..."

Katara, not liking that her question was being ignored, made to argue, but her protest died in her throat as Zuko's pale warm fingers brushed her cheek. Her heartbeat elevated, and she blushed crimson at the touch. Zuko's eyes were at half-mast, and reminded Katara of a beast about to consume it's prey. She swallowed thickly, watching as he circled her, till he stopped directly behind her. Reaching around the waterbender, Zuko gently placed his hands over her eyes, effectively blocking the clearing from sight. Unable to hold her silence, the young woman murmured,

"What are you doing?" Of course, there was no answer. After what seemed like a century, she felt the solid, warm body behind her shift.

"Look," came the low husky whisper. Suddenly, the light pressure atop her eyes was gone. Opening them slowly, Katara gazed about , unable to silence her delighted gasp.

All around them, the clearing had come alive as fireflies took flight, their dim lights dancing in the air. Katara raised her hands, palms up, and spun, laughing as she took in the beauty of nature.

Zuko watched her from a safe distance, pondering what to say. He'd never been good at expressing his feelings; he was bound to make a fool of himself no matter what he said.

Katara turned to him, eyes gleaming, with a smile illuminating her face.

"It's perfect." She breathed, "Thank you."

Zuko found himself at a loss for words; she was outstanding. Her dark hair flying wildly behind her, eyes sparkling with unsuppressed glee as she grinned at him. He knew then, with a certainty, that he was in love. Her fiery passion, kind heart, and otherworldly beauty had called to him since the very beginning- it was only a matter of time before he fell for her completely.

He reached out to her, and was surprised when she raised her hand to meet his, pulling him closer to her, till their bodies where inches apart. He blinked repeatedly, and stiffened as Katara's nimble fingers lightly traced his scar. He grabbed her wrist, pulling it back slightly and holding it there, the two searching each other's eyes.

Katara licked her lips, and gently pried her hand away, and once more ran it down the left side of the prince's face. He had closed his eyes, leaning into her hand, mind blanking of everything but the sensations of the girls touch.

She paused momentarily, before making up her mind, and raising to her toes, gently pressed her lips to his. Zuko's eyes shot open, and he stared in shock as Katara pulled away. She blushed, avoiding his gaze. Swallowing convulsively, Zuko composed himself, and leaned down cupping her cheek in one hand before kissing her. Their lips brush briefly, at first, soft and warm against the other, but soon deepened as they became surer of their actions. They stayed like that, perfectly content, for sometime, before pulling apart for air.

Zuko pressed his forehead to hers, gazing into her deep blue eyes, as their breath mingled and warmed their faces.

"Katara," He murmured, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, "Katara, I... I love you." A deep feeling of happiness settled in his chest as the words left his mouth. He loved her. He truly did.

Golden eyes searched the blue depths of the Water Tribe woman's, trying to gauge her reaction. He shifted nervously and began to pull away, when she suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his tunic, and roughly pressed her lips to his. It was passionate, and wanting; expressing what she couldn't seem to find the words for. She loved him back.

Their feelings having evolved over time, into mutual affection, she felt it was about time they were brought to light. They spent the rest of the night laying side by side, hand in hand, on the lush grass, watching the fireflies dance and the moon drift across the sky.

That is were the group found them the next morning; Katara curled against Zuko's side with his arm resting across her waist, as they slept. Sokka was shocked, to say the least, and the two lovebirds woke to his shouts of indignation.

"Get away from my sister, you- you-" he faltered, unable to think of a satisfactory insult in his fury, "You sister stealer!"

Zuko sat upright and glared at Sokka, as he waved his sword in the air, threatening to cleave the banished prince in two. Katara merely rolled her eyes, and turned to the remaining gang members.

Toph was grinning, elbowing Aang in the ribs, as she laughed. Aang looked between herself and the older boy beside her, and gave a small smile, nodding his head once, as if to say he approved of the match.

Sokka's shouts had yet to subside, growing louder and more frantic with each breath,

"What did you do to her, you backstabbing good-for-nothing firebender?!"

Katara's face was flushed now, with both embarrassment and irritation.

"He didn't _do_ anything to me, Sokka." She nearly growled, sending her own glare in his direction.

"Are you sure?" Toph singsonged from the sidelines, a small smirk gracing her face, "I can tell you're lying."

At this, Sokka imploded; attacking Zuko with wild swings of his sword. Zuko dodged expertly, his face showing nothing but extreme boredom. Sokka continued his futile attempts to harm the young prince, while Toph howled with laughter, and Aang and Katara tried to calm the enraged Water Tribe warrior down.

_What a way to start the morning_, Katara thought.

* * *

**A/N: My first attempt at Zutara fluff... let's face it- it sucks. Sorry if I wasted your time with this story. I'm not exactly happy with it, but I promised a friend I'd write it.**

**Meh.**


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